Assignment for Design Thinking Action Lab

1. Challenge
Redesign school-to-work
transition
Step 1
Empathize and Define

2. Interview was given by STAKEHOLDER who is a full-time employee of
world known big corporation. He is Master of Computer Science and
graduated 5 years ago.
STAKEHOLDER
Intelligent
Technical and details oriented
Creative
Prefer to work on his own and then share results with the team
Like slow pace environment, need time to adapt to changes
Prefers process over the quick results as good results come from well designed and executed
process (by his words)
Master of Computer Science, full time employee of big US corporation for the last few years
Young, at the beginning of his career, immigrant from Russia
Got two degrees: first at Russian University and second at European University
Analytical approach to life
More thinking than acting
Seen as ‘smartest one’ at school, university and at work
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3. SAY
1. I always was educating myself through reading
2. I’ve got most knowledge that I’m using now by myself
3. School didn’t affect my life
4. I have neutral attitude towards school
5. I’ll send my kids to school as school providing basic minimum
6. I want to see my kids at University as University might give a lot and it’s not easy to get skills and
knowledge by yourself
7. Meet a lot of friendly and positive people
8. Have to find what I have to do to meet expectations by myself
9. I want to get clear algorithms and the targets at the beginning, not the expectations
10.I’ve got my first job by friend’s recommendation (friend referred me)
11.I think Career Fairs at schools / university would help a lot to find the right job
12.Every vacancy requests experienced employee, there is almost no way for freshly graduates to get
entry-level experience
13.Professional education is necessary for everyone: you have to get basics of a profession (college)
14.University Education is not needed to everyone, only for ambitious people who want to achieve more
15.University Education is giving professional experience and wider knowledge
16.School – College – (University – optional) – Job that’s the right way for education
17.Problem (even academic problems) solving is important even if these problems are outdated and
made up by teacher
18.Students should solve unordinary and complex problems that request to find out-of-the box solutions
and create creative design thinking
19.Students should get real practical working experience (apprenticeship)
20.Entry exam at University was extremely stressful, even more than final one
21.Reasons to choose university: location (close to home), reputation
22.I was happy with my university, got all what I’ve expected
23.If I had another chance, I’d go to the same University
24.But I’d recommend more specialized University in case if someone wants to be a truly professional
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4. DO
1. He doesn’t care a lot about working environment
2. He does not make friends at school / university / work
3. He study a lot by himself
4. He does his job on the high level
5. He very knowledgeable: knows a lot not only about work itself but about everything in the world
6. Other employees treat him with respect due to his knowledge and high level of work done
7. He prefers to do complex and interesting tasks, hates routine
8. He thinks that he learn anything by himself without teacher
9. He treats everyone with respect
10.He has successful algorithms for every task at work
11.He is not afraid of making decisions
12.He develops his mind and not letting it rust
13.He is easily bored by same easy tasks
14.He prefers to work independently and to discuss results with others (but not share the
process, doesn’t like collaborative work)
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5. THINK
1. He has got necessary skills for his current job from University but he wants better job and didn’t get skills for it
from the education institutions
2. He treats public education as necessary but easy and not enough for the good specialist
3. He thinks that there is no life without proper job and education
4. Comfort is very important thing for him and he makes his own space that allow him to live by his rules at
educational and working environment – people around should not interfere when he doesn’t want to –
socialization issues?
5. It would be better for him if education was more practical (get clear targets and algorithms for working
processes) and more specific as he has wide erudition and knows a lot but doesn’t have specific skill for the
dream job
6. He would not trust professional worker who didn’t get proper education
7. He think that School – College – (University – optional) – Job way is the only one but it doesn’t guarantee that
person will get necessary skills and knowledge to be successful at her role
8. He needs approval on the first stage of any work and then he can build approved and successful algorithms
that work for him – probably consequence of classical education when student always get approval or denial
from teacher
FEEL
1. He is not happy about his current position and looking for more but doesn’t feel prepared to change the job
2. He is thankful for university education but feels like he has to study a lot by himself
3. He doesn’t believe that school + university can give more that they are giving now – cannot see way out this
cycle, cannot see life without it
4. He doesn’t accept not-working lifestyle
5. It’s very stressful and difficult for him to change his job as he needs to do things out of his comfort zone:
exams, job interviews
6. He feels that people who finished university are better people in terms of work / career
7. Contradiction: he believes that man has to develop himself but he also believes that public education makes
people better
8. He feels that university develops creativity thinking when telling that he has got it working by himself – he is
underestimating himself and overestimating public education 5

6. Problem / Need
1. He needs skills to get a dream job
2. He needs possibility to get and implement skills to get a dream job
3. He needs to get entry-level experience to get a dream job
4. He needs to change himself and step out for comfort zone to get and implement skills to
get a dream job
5. He needs a way / system / possibility to work as associate and get entry-level
experience for the dream job
6. He needs to do what he wants to do
7. He needs a way to change his job and get a dream job
Final Statement
He needs a way / system / possibility to work as associate and get entry-level
experience for the dream job
Insights
Main contradiction that I see here is that the person got a lot of knowledge and skills
through the long education way but he didn’t get specific skills that allows him to get his
dream job. He is very intelligent and can do a lot but he cannot start moving towards his
goal as it’s out of his comfort zone. Education didn’t provide him solution for dealing with
such issues. Even if he has professional skills he cannot change his job as dream job
requires entry-level experience and he cannot see ways how to get it without breaking
his lifestyle.
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